Gone Before Goodbye
by kaylarivers
Summary: It had been three years since the day Adrien Agreste disappeared. Two months since they found his discarded backpack in the dump. Two days since they declared him dead. 10 minutes since the service began. A bleak eternity opened up before Marionette as she thought of life without him. Rated T to be sure.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note edited:** Hello! This is my first ever fanfic. The very first I have ever written. I'm sorry if it's not the best. Please feel free to point out any errors, formatting or otherwise. I'll try to get them fixed asap, but no promises.

I've had so much feedback saying I should continue this, I've decided to go ahead and add more. **This chapter has changed since I first uploaded it to make it easier to continue.** So even if you've already read it, you may wish to again.

This is the also first series I've shipped in, so this is all new to me. Love these two :)

Anyway, please enjoy.

I'll put the rights to this story on next year's wishlist, but until then I don't own Miraculous Ladybug. Unfortunately.

It had been three years since the day Adrien Agreste disappeared. Two months since they found his discarded backpack in the dump. Two days since they declared him dead. 10 minutes since the service began. A bleak eternity opened up before Marinette as she thought of life without him.

She felt her mother's comforting hand rub soothing circles on her back as she watched Mr. Agreste through tear blurred vision. He was much worse for wear, the stress from the previous years visible in his eyes if not on his face. It had been nearly a month since she had seen him last. The day he canceled the search parties he had worn that same expression.

Mr. Agreste got up and talked, but Marinette couldn't pay attention. She felt herself sway slightly as people began throwing flowers on the coffin. _It's not really him,_ she tried thinking, but it didn't help. Nothing would help until he was found, dead or alive.

The service eventually ended. She couldn't help but think about her crush and how she never got to confess as they drove down the street towards the bakery. Wasted moments flashed through her mind, the things she wanted to say weighed down her heart. So many chances to get to know him, to show him love, to let him know she was there for him- all up in smoke the day he didn't show up for class.

When they got back to the bakery, Marinette changed and went for a walk. Her parents didn't stop her, just quietly let her know they were there. _Like I should have done for him_.

Tikki nudged her from inside her purse, letting her know she was there as well. She had been an amazing friend these past three years, keeping full and letting her charge go out looking whenever she needed to. She stopped Marinette's depression from getting too bad and let the girl talk when she needed a shoulder to cry on.

However one-sided her crush had been, no one could deny now that she had felt true love for the boy, even if she still had doubts.

Something black darted past her, forcing her to pay attention. A black butterfly flew down the street, heading to infect someone. Even though she didn't feel like it, Marinette followed. She was in the middle of a crisis, but Paris needed her. And Paris came first.

It flew down the street, dodging several pedestrians that she accidentally collided with. She ran after it blindly, only wanting to get rid of it before someone she knew was infected or hurt.

She couldn't handle someone else getting hurt today.

It flew into a secluded park by the Seine. A lone person sat on a bench, clutching something to their chest and sobbing.

Without thinking Marinette ran over to them and put a hand on their shoulder.

Chloe turned around and blinked at her as a pink butterfly appeared around her face.

"Chloe, don't listen to it. I know you're hurting, but what will going berserk solve? Nothing. You will just feel worse in the end. Think of Adrian; he wouldn't want you hurting others, would he?"

Marinette sat down beside her. Even though she didn't like the girl, she obviously needed support. Tears began falling down Chloe's face, splashing onto the thing clutched in her hands.

"I-I just want him back," she sobbed. "He was one of my two friends, and Sabrina isn't here right now."

Marinette gently took the thing out of her hands. It was a small framed picture of Adrian, smiling up at the camera. She felt the dark magic transfer over to her, but kept the voice at the back of her mind away with a stern _NO._

"I'm so sorry, Chloe. I know what you're going through. I-I liked him, too." Marinette bit her lip, unshed tears finally splashing down her face. "A lot."

They held each other as they cried, the magic still coursing through Marinette. Whispers tried to cut in as they talked, but she just forced them back. Chloe sat with her until dark, keeping her company and helping distract her from the voice at the back of her mind. Despite their differences, Chloe turned out to be very comforting when Marinette needed it.

"I have to go. I'm sorry, Marinette." Chloe finally said, getting up.

She paused at the park's entrance. "And, thanks. I needed that."

Marinette nodded back, looking down at the picture. "No problem. I'll go find Ladybug. She'll be able to handle this."

"Will you be okay? The akuma would have taken over if you hadn't shown up. I didn't know they were so... tempting."

Marinette nodded again, tucking it into a pocket. "Yeah. I'm stronger than I look." She got up and walked Chloe to her car.

"Thanks again." The blonde said, driving away.

Marinette stood there for a long time, just staring at the spot the car had been. She had to get out of there, accidentally break the picture so she could get away and transform before the butterfly flew away. But she was tired and sad and just didn't want to.

 _Just accept me,_ a deep voice said. _I'll take away all your pain. I won't let anyone else hurt you._

Marinette shook her head and began walking, taking out the picture and looking at it. "I know turning into an akuma won't bring him back. I know it would just make things worse. I'm tempted, but I'm no fool."

"Well, I'm certainly a fool for you, Purrincess."

Squeaking, she jumped and turned around. Chat leaned against a building, smirking at her. His eyes widened and his smile disappeared as he caught sight of the outline around her face.

"Don't do it, Marinette," his voice turned serious as he stood straight.

She forced a laugh and tossed the picture over to him. "As I said, I'm tempted but I'm no fool. I don't know what you can do with it without Ladybug, but here. Take the temptation away."

Chat looked at a loss for words as he caught the picture, but it didn't last long. "What happened to my Princess that evil would tempt her?"

"I buried my heart today." She said, turning and walking away. She still felt the evil coursing through her. Their suits must protect them, since the magic didn't transfer like it did when she took it from Chloe. It made sense. Magic suits to protect against dark magic items.

"Wait, what?" Chat asked, walking alongside her. "Are you okay?

"I'm fine. It was actually after Chloe, but I took that from her. She didn't accept his deal, by the way. I guess that's why it transferred over to me." She couldn't help but shiver as she thought of her childhood bully terrorizing the city. "She would make a terrifying akuma, though."

Chat gently grabbed her hand and pulled her to a stop. "Are you sure, Marinette? I can stay and talk if you need me to. I have a backlog of puns just waiting to cheer mew up."

He smiled at his own pun. "I'm okay, Chat. I just – I need to get home. Go find Ladybug and get this annoying voice out of my head, okay?"

He let go of her hand and she took off at a dead sprint, winding through the streets. The voice continued whispering, but the further she got the quieter it became. She waited until she could no longer feel the dark magic at the back of her mind before stopping to breathe.

"It's okay now, Tikki. I can't feel Hawk Moth anymore. I need to transform and go purify that akuma."

Tikki popped out of her purse, looking up at her. "Okay. But after this, straight home. No more adventuring until you grieve."

Marinette nodded. "Agreed. Spots on."

She felt the rush that came with changing forms, but it dissipated in the wake of her sadness. She shook her head and called Chat with her yo yo.

"Hey Chat. Marinette flagged me down and told me what happened."

"Then I guess I'll meet you at the Eiffel Tower, My Lady."

They hung up and Ladybug hesitated a moment. Getting close to the picture could make Hawk Moth's magic come back. Shaking her head she began running towards their meeting spot.

It wouldn't matter. Hawk Moth wouldn't know it was her, just that Marinette had the misfortune of blindly running back into range.

She got there before Chat and sat, letting the view distract her for a while before he showed up. Lights twinkled below, illuminating the heavy clouds that had fallen with nightfall. It was peaceful, although she could only wonder why it hadn't rained at Adrien's funeral. It wasn't fair. The clouds looked ready to burst now and her world wasn't falling apart.

"Looking as purrfect as ever, My Lady." Her breath hitched slightly at his voice. Even after all this time, he still affected her like this. It felt like betrayal, how she had let him slowly worm his way into her heart. It belonged to Adrien.

 _Then why does he still affect you like this? Are you giving up on your crush?_

She rolled her eyes and turned towards him, secretly grateful he had shown up and distracted her. Even if he made butterflies dance in her stomach and questions she wasn't able to answer run through her mind. He was safe. "I can't stay long. I have things to do in my other life."

He tossed the picture to her, watching as she broke the frame over her leg. "Come on out, vile akuma." she coaxed, watching as the black butterfly escape. A quick capture later she stood, balancing on the edge of the beam.

"Miraculous Cleansing Light!"

Lots of little ladybugs came out and fixed the picture frame before disappearing. "Time to get this back to Marinette."

"Wait – do you know why she had it? Why would she feel hurt over him? He's been missing for years."

Ladybug felt the tears behind her eyes, but kept her voice steady. "They just buried him this morning." She looked down at the smiling photo in her hand. "She loved him. Maybe it was just a crush, maybe it was something more. I don't know. But she never stopped looking, even when they found his discarded backpack. Even when his father told her to give it up."

The clouds finally burst as she took a deep breath to steady herself once again. "His father didn't give up until they identified the blood on the backpack. But Marinette... She would never give up. I've helped her look and... whatever other people think or say, I have no doubts about her feelings for him."

A cold wind blew between them as she waited for an answer, but none came. When she looked up, he had vanished, which was most unusual for him. He didn't even say goodbye. It stung a little.

With a shrug Ladybug jumped, landed, and ducked out of sight. She untransformed and walked back to the bakery.

People laughed and talked in the streets, but Marinette didn't join in. She felt numb as the cold and rain finally got to her, settling in her heart like a stone.

Her parents had gone to bed by the times she made it back, but they left a note saying they made her something to eat. She found the pre-made sandwich and prepared some hot chocolate. She popped the mug in the microwave. Rummaging around in the cupboard, she found some snacks for her kwami and added them to her plate.

When the microwave dinged she gathered everything and headed upstairs, locking the door behind her. Tikki took her snacks and settled down in her hiding place to let Marinette work.

Marinette turned on a lamp and sat down at her computer desk. She pulled out several notebooks, intending on going through them as if she didn't have them memorized. Maybe she was missing something? Something that would lead her to Adrien?

A quiet tapping interrupted her. "Just come on in, it's open."

She turned to the door, looking. "Never mind, it's not. I'll open i-"

"I think you furgot to lock this."

She jumped and turned for the second time that night. Chat peeked around her balcony door, looking a little sheepish.

"Oh. Hi. I thought you were one of my parents." She motioned to the door. "What are you doing here, Chat?"

"I came to make sure you were okay. I see Ladybug got to you first, though."

"She found me while I was walking back home," she said, turning back to her work. She stuck a pin in the giant map of Paris where once Adrien's pictures hung and wrote a note in her notebook.

He came in, shutting the door behind him against the cool autumn air. "I also have some information on your missing friend."

She turned so fast her neck popped. "You know where he is?" A small feeling, almost like hope, fluttered in her heart.

He smiled sheepishly, sitting on the bed. "Yeah. He didn't mean to worry anybody. Adrien just – well he – I'm not sure I can explain tit right now. It – its complicated."

Marinette felt all the tension leave her body. She leaned forward over the desk, resting her head on her arm. Thoughts flashed through her head, all of them begging to be asked. Instead, she took a deep breath.

"Marinette? Are you okay?"

She looked up, smiling with tears falling down her face. "Thank God, Chat. I was so worried something happened to him. I couldn't forgive myself if something had." She pressed her hand to her mouth, trying to compose herself. "When was the last time you saw him?"

"Just earlier." He said, unease flickering through his eyes. "I talked to him for a moment right after meeting you. He didn't tell me they were burying him, though. I'm not sure he knew. I can-"

She held up a hand, tears still spilling down her face. "No. Don't tell me where he is. I don't care, as long as he's happy. As long as he's safe. I'm sure I'll just bring up painful memories of his past."

Pulling out a drawer, she pushed all the notebooks and police reports into it. They fell in a scattered heap, but she didn't care. He was safe.

 _He was safe._

Hands grabbed hers as Chat pulled her towards him.

"No, he wouldn't think that. He would be more worried about putting you in danger." He wiped the tears off her face, making sure not to scratch her with his claws.

All sorts of scenarios danced in her head. Mafia kidnapping. Sex slave business. Even a business rival kidnapping him, but Chat just shook his head. "He had to leave, but it was his own choice."

She leaned forward, resting her head on his shoulder. "Chat, I –"

A beep cut her off and she leaned back, rubbing the back of her neck. "It can wait."

Chat looked at her, watching as she blushed slightly. He had a strange expression on his face. "What if we didn't wait?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you've more than proved yourself today. You resisted the akuma, and saved someone else from it at the same time. You're strong and brave and caring. I think I can trust you with my secret."

Marinette jumped back like she was stung. Her elbow hit the desk painfully, bringing tears back into her eyes. "No Chat! I haven't been akumatized, but that doesn't mean I wont be. What if I am, and I know your identity? What if I'm controlled? What if-"

Chat cut her off, placing a finger on her lips. "It'll be okay. I promise. I've been watching you for a while now, Mari. I know I can trust you."

Another beep panicked Marinette even more. "No. I can't. I don't want to hurt you, even under someone else's spell."

He smiled, pushing back a small section of hair from her eyes. "Please. You are one of the few people I trust. Fully, completely, trust."

His grin grew wider. "And it seems my kwami agrees. He's cheering right now."

A bright green light enveloped him, but Marinette closed her eyes and turned away. _I can't do this right now. I can't do this right now._

A warm hand gently turned her head back towards him. They were slightly rough, with callouses on the palm. It surprised her; she'd always thought of him as a rich boy for some reason.

"Please Marinette. It'll be okay." He sounded close. Too close. Her heart beat in her ears, blocking out everything other than his voice. "I promise."

It would be so easy. All she had to do was open her eyes. She could then tell him she was Ladybug, and they would go off and help Adrien reconnect with his friends and family and everything would be okay. For once, everything would be right in the world.

"I-I can't right now, Chat." Even with her eyes shut, she could still feel his disappointment. It rolled off of him in waves, causing her to grab his hand on her cheek.

"That doesn't mean I'm not able to later. But you just told me one of my friends is in trouble and I can't help. You told me the person I buried today is alive and well. You told me you trust me so much, you'd be willing to give me the biggest secret of all to keep safe. It's all so much. I can hardly wrap my head around it."

He huffed gently, seemingly appeased. "I guess it was all a little much, huh?"

"I'll say. You overwhelmed the poor girl."

Chat groaned, turning. "Just eat your cheese, Plagg."

There was a gulping noise. "I guess I'll see you sometime later then, Princess. Claws out."

Another bright light lit up the back of her eyelids. She felt a pressure on her forehead, her eyes popping open automatically as she sputtered.

Chat grinned at her. "Bye." He said, disappearing up the ladder and into the night.

"Stupid cat," she muttered, climbing up and shutting the door. "How dare he kiss me and just dart out like that."

Her heart stuttered at the thought, her fingers brushing over where he had kissed her. She ignored the butterflies and flopped on the bed.

Tikki came over and sat on her pillow. "That was... wow. Are you okay?"

"No." She looked up at her kwami. "I'm not. I thought I was about ready to try to get to know Chat better, but I'm so scared. What if he doesn't like me? What if plain old Marinette isn't enough? What if this changes things? There are so many questions I can't answer right now."

She buried her face back in the blankets. "And now Adrien is back. I don't know what to do, Tikki."

"Well, the first thing you should do is get some sleep. You've hardly gotten any the last week or so and you're going to need your strength tomorrow."

Marinette snorted, but got up and went to the bathroom. "I doubt I'll be able to get any sleep with the thoughts running through my head right now."

After making sure her doors were locked, she slipped under the covers, yawning. "I don't even know if I should tell him I'm Ladybug. He may be upset when he learns if I don't, but his puns will be insufferable if I do."

Tikki shushed her, happy when she finally dozed off. She flew over to the window and looked out, lost in thought.

 **Final note:** I've tried to flesh this out a little more and make it feel more like a complete chapter. Please tell me your thoughts and if it went a way you were expecting.

And to the person who pointed out my misspelling, thank you so much! That's what I get for being complacent and letting autocorrect check it instead of looking it up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: _Warning! I reworked the first chapter some. You may need to reread it to understand what is going on! Also, this note is just warning you that there will be an extremely long note at the end. Thank you._**

Marinette woke up to Tikki jumping on her head. "Wake up! Wake up! You promised to meet Alya at the park!"

She groaned and turned over, pushing herself into a seated position. The clock was blaring so she hit it, glancing at the time. "Oops. I've overslept a little."

"Don't you remember your Mom coming in? She's been in here twice to wake you up." Tikki asked worriedly, hovering around her head.

"Not at all. I don't remember anything after I said something about Chat." She rubbed her eyes and tumbled out of bed, landing on her head. "Ouch."

Tikki giggled and sighed. "What am I going to do with you, girl?"

"Love me and find my brush while I get dressed?"

Tikki laughed and went into her bathroom, looking for the brush. Marinette pulled on her ordinary wear, finding the familiarity comforting. She pulled on one of the hat's she'd been working on, but decided not to wear it. It clashed with her pink pants.

After brushing her hair and putting on her shoes, Marinette headed downstairs. She left Tikki with a pile of cookies from her stash for breakfast.

"Good morning, sleepy head. I was just coming upstairs to see if you were finally up. How are you feeling?" Sabine asked, hugging her as she entered the kitchen.

"I'm tired, but ready to face the day. I think."

She gulped down her breakfast and ran back upstairs to gather her purse and notebook. Her kwami was tucked safely inside her purse as she burst into the bakery. Grabbing three cookies from the counter she ran, pausing only to give her mother and father a kiss.

"Stay safe!" they called. She waved at them and ran out into the cold morning.

The brisk morning air helped clear her mind as she raced towards the park. She got there right as she saw Alya raise her phone, probably to call her.

Alya waved and put her phone down and started fiddling with the camera. Marinette walked over and took the folding chair out.

"So, what's so important that you wouldn't tell me anything beforehand? What's the new scoop?"

Alya began fixing her hair for her. Marinette started growing a little uneasy. "I'm doing a scoop on where you can get the best croissants. They had everyone bring in a sample of who they thought was the best and you guys won. I figured it would be easier to interview you then it would be your parents."

"Alya! I'm not dressed for an interview!" she sputtered, starting to get up but Alya stopped her.

"You look fine. Come on, cameras start rolling in five minutes."

She turned and dragged out another folding chair, setting it up next to her. "Wait! Is this live?"

"Yep. Relax. You're going to be just fine."

Marinette glared at her for a moment before smiling at the camera. She couldn't bring herself to be mad at her. If she had known she probably wouldn't have agreed to come.

"And welcome everyone to our segment of Paris Foods! Today, the best croissants in Paris."

Marinette got through the 15 minute interview without stuttering. She did a really good job selling them, inviting everyone to come try the 'best treats in all of Paris'. When it was finished Alya smiled at her as she deflated.

"You did amazing. I almost wish it was live."

"It wasn't! Alyyyyaaa!"

Alya laughed. "Don't worry. I already know the best way to get back into your good graces."

Marinette huffed, but allowed her to pull her along. They stopped at a new food cart under the Eiffel Tower. "Some people say this is the best food cart they've ever eaten at, but I'm unconvenced. Then again, I'm a little biased towards your parent's bakery." Alya said, taking a bite of her beagle sandwich.

Marinette laughed and took a bite of hers as well. "This is good, but you're right. We're biased."

They walked around the Eiffel Tower, just enjoying each others company. It had been a long time since they were able to just sit around and talk. Since they started going to different colleges it had been hard to do more than video chat for a while now.

Even though it was short, Marinette enjoyed what little time they could spend together. They were still the best of friends, and Alya was still the one Marinette ran to and vise-versa. She even made sure to stop by as Ladybug every now and again and answer a few questions.

"So, I've been thinking." Alya started, throwing her wrapper away. She stopped and rubbed the back of her head, then started walking again. Over the next few minutes she grew increasingly nervous and fidgety. She tried several times to talk, only to lapse into silence again.

"What's wrong, Alya? You know you can tell me." Marinette said, putting her hand on her friends shoulder.

"Well, it's about Ladybug."

"Ladybug?" Marinette squeaked. "What about her?"

"Well, it's about her identity. I know you've been super supporting of my Ladyblog and have helped me try to figure out her identity before, but I don't know anymore."

Marinette relaxed a little, bumping her best friend's arm with hers. "What brought about this change?"

"The akumas have gotten much more aggressive lately. They seem intent on getting their 'miraculous,' whatever those are. They seem to be the source of the duo's power. To the point where the last one held people hostage."

Marinette nodded. The akumas had gotten much worse lately. It seemed every other week half of Paris crumbled to the ground. The rest of the time the citizens themselves were attacked. It was getting a little out of hand. "That's true."

Alya threw her hands up in the air. "But that's the thing. What if they haven't actually gotten worse? What if this has been when Ladybug and Chat Noir have been facing all along and the akumas have just gotten more powerful? What if I figure out who they are and someone goes after their parents or friends or something?"

"That's part of what comes with a mask though, isn't it? The worry for friends and family is just part of the job. But what else can they do? Just let people get hurt? I mean, I'm sure they would appreciate it if citizens wouldn't poke around their personal lives, but that's part of what they agreed to."

Alya and Marinette laid down on the grass, looking up at the tower. "I know that, but it just hit me. I could get one of them killed. I'm not sure I want to find out anymore."

"But what would you do about your Ladyblog?"

"What if instead of figuring out who they are, I told their story? I'd kept a record of what they did for when their powers pass down to the next pair."

Marinette looked at her carefully. "I thought Ladybug was super old."

"I'm pretty sure their powers pass down. I mean, Ladybug has aged in the time she has been a superhero."

Marinette agreed, happy for her friend. "That seems like a great idea. But how are you going to ask her?"

Alya laughed nervously. "Well, you see... I've been keeping a secret. Every now and again Ladybug comes to see me. I'm so sorry. I just didn't want you to be jealous or tell anyone. I like our little chats and I'd miss her if she didn't come." She flinched, waiting for Marinette to react.

"It's okay, Alya. I understand. I'm not even mad. I-"

Marinette's phone beeped. She looked at it, surprised at the time. "We have to hurry or we'll miss Manon's birthday party. But seriously, I understand. I kind of already came to the conclusion it would be a bad thing if everyone knew."

Alya sighed in relief and got up. "I left my present in the car. I'll meet you there. Across the park, right?"

"Right. I already gave Manon her present. I'm pretty sure she'll be wearing it at the party."

"Ohh! What did you make her?"

Marinette laughed. "She wanted a unicorn hoodie. I guess she still remembers the stories you used to tell about the magical land of Nespar."

"I remember those! I can't believe she remembers them now."

"You don't know the half of it. Anyway, go grab your present."

Marinette walked over to the other side of the park. She saw Manon playing with a friend and smiled. She had grown big over the last few years, although she was still a handful when babysitting.

"Hey Marinette. Would you mind helping set up? My husband is late getting here." Manon's mom asked, pulling out paper plates and cups.

"No problem. How many spots?"

"20. Oh no, wait. Most of the kids in her class canceled. Only about 3 are coming, plus the adults. So maybe..." she stopped and did the math. "Put out ten spots. We can always put more out if we need to."

Marinette nodded and began setting out plates. Alya came over with a box and set it down with the other present. "Here, I'll help as well."

A scream cut her off and the three of them looked over at the children, startled. Manon was on her knees, the little boy she was playing with standing above her. He looked like he was about to cry.

"You pulled off my horn! This was a birthday present from Marinette!"

The little boy tried to apologize, but Manon ran off. Marinette left the two others to chase after her, but she evaded her easily in the throng of people.

"Tikki, I don't like this at all. What if something happens to Manon?"

"I'm sure we'll find her. She'll be okay."

A loud bang went off under the Eiffel Tower and Marinette froze.

 _Please don't be an akuma. Not right now. Please._

"I am Lady Nespar! Everyone has to go to my party and give me presents!"

Marinette's heart sank as she saw her favorite little monkey akumatized. Her short hair was no longer pulled back in her usual pony tail. Now it was pulled back into pig tails like when she was little. A unicorn horn sprouted from her head. Her overalls and shirt had turned into a white and purple dress with a tail.

She threw a yellow ball at a group of tourists standing around with phones. "You are going to my party."

They turned, dropping their phones and walking towards Marinette. She jumped out of the way, watching as they passed.

"Manon! What's gotten into you?" Marinette called, catching the girl's attention.

"That stupid boy ripped my birthday present. But it's okay, you can fix that. And it's not Manon anymore, it's Lady Nespar." She sniffed, doing a hair flip.

"Then why are you like this, Manon? I can fix it. Please, just don't do this anymore."

"No. Now I'm going to make everyone bring me presents. I'll see you at the party, Marinette!"

Marinette watched as Lady Nespar flew, throwing yellow balls at people. When she came across the statue of Ladybug and Chat Noir, she threw a red one. It exploded, sending several people looking for cover. She laughed evilly and continued along.

"Marinette! We need to transform!"

"I'm on it, Tikki." She ducked in an alleyway and transformed, rushing to the scene.

"Hello, my Lady." Chat said, dropping down beside her and surveying the damage. "It looks like this one is just as dangerous as the last few have been. Pawlease be careful."

Ladybug rolled her eyes at him. "You too. No heroics this time, okay? I can't stay to patch you up."

"Busy these days, aren't you?" He asked, smirking and raising an eyebrow. She just rolled her eyes at him.

Lady Nespar spotted them and grinned. A pink butterfly outline briefly shone around her face, making her smile grow. "Yes, sir," she said, three more red balls appearing in her hand.

"I'm pretty sure the akuma is in her horn, but it will be hard to get to. You ready, Chat?"

"Yes, my Lady."

They split up, dodging the magic bombs. Chat tried to draw her attention, but every time Ladybug tried to use lucky charm she knocked the yo yo out of the air.

"Dang." She said after the third time, regrouping with Chat.

"Do you have another strategy yet? That one doesn't seem to be working." He said, slightly out of breath. He hadn't been able to get close at all.

She felt her mind turning, before suddenly coming to a realization. "I saw Marinette talking to her not long ago. Let's see what happens when... Hey Chat, watch for an opening. I'm about to do something extremely stupid."

Before Chat could respond Ladybug ran forward and faced the akuma.

"Giving up yet?" Lady Nespar sneered at her, getting ready to throw another bomb.

"Actually, I have to tell you something. I kidnapped Marinette. You won't get her back."

She watched Lady Nespar turn bright red with anger. "What do you mean? Give me back my Marinette!"

Ladybug dodged a red bomb. "No! She's in a safe place! I took her there myself before coming here. You won't get her back unless you call off the party."

"Never!" Lady Nespar screamed at her, throwing more balls. Ladybug had made her angrier than she had intended, dodging bombs all around. She led the fight away from the Eiffel Tower, thankful none of the bombs had hit it yet.

"Get back here and give me my Marinette!" the akuma shouted, following. Ladybug had hoped to find an opening to use her Lucky Charm, but it seemed like her luck had run out. The akuma focused solely on her, intent on getting her babysitter back.

Ladybug watched carefully for any kind of opening, but she was tiring. She usually wasn't the one who ran in like this. It was hard trying to dodge all the time.

 _How does Chat make it look so easy?_

A bomb hit her, throwing her back down the street. She landed on her feet, sliding. Chat ran over, watching the akuma fume. "That _was_ rather stupid, my Lady. What do we do meow?"

"The bombs don't explode until they flash red. See if you can deflect them long enough to let me use Lucky Charm. Or find something that will work."

Chat got into position as the akuma came closer. Ladybug threw her yo yo up in the air and caught... "A bell? What can I do with a hand-bell?"

Ladybug looked around, seeing her yo you light up as well as an old sign and the hand-bell.

"Got it. I know what to do. Cover me a little bit longer."

She tied the handbell to the yo yo and turned, waiting for an opportunity. When Lady Nespar went to throw another bomb she threw it.

"Ha ha! You missed me! Oh!"

The hand bell hit the sign and fell directly onto her horn. "That was your plan?" Chat asked, a little incredulous. "That doesn't seem to be helping!"

The akuma laughed and tried to throw the bomb again, but it exploded in her hand. She fell to the ground, where Chat pounced on her. He tried pulling the horn, but it was attached to her head.

"Kick it!" Ladybug called, readying her yo yo. He did, shattering the horn like glass. The butterfly flew out of the pieces, but she caught it.

She pressed the top of her yo yo, freeing the butterfly. "Bye bye little butterfly."

After pushing out more magic she to clean up the mess Ladybug turned to Manon. She looked around, seeming very scared.

"Do you know what happened to Marinette?"

Ladybug paused, looking at Chat. "Yes. Why? Do you remember something?"

"Only that I was really scared for her." She looked up at them with tears in her eyes. "I turned into an akuma, didn't I?"

Ladybug nodded, helping her to her feet. "You did. I'm sorry not a lot of people are coming to your birthday party, but the ones who matter are, right? You should just enjoy spending time with people who care about you."

Manon nodded, still sniffing. "I'm so sorry. I will enjoy spending time with them."

Ladybug's earrings beeped. "I guess I have to go. I have to grab Marinette before I change back."

"Wait my Lady, don't you think we should attend the party? Even if it's just for a minute? I can stay for longer, but you could bring Manon back, right?"

Ladybug nodded slowly, smiling at the flash of happiness in Manon's eyes. "Okay! Let's go!"

She couldn't help but laugh at Manon's eagerness as she picked her up. "Then hold on tight!" she said, throwing her yo yo and swinging up onto the roof. As she ran along she heard Chat laughing behind her.

When they arrived everyone gathered around. Manon apologized to the little boy and they stayed and talked with Ladybug for a minute. Many of the people under the spell wandered off after they'd been released from the but a few stayed. Manon was ecstatic when she saw how many people were now gathered around the picnic table.

Chat grabbed her hand and they bowed to the crowd, making Manon laugh. "See? They love us, my Lady."

Ladybug laughed, gently hitting him on his arm. "We did seem to make her birthday better, didn't we?"

Manon talked excitedly about running across the roofs of Paris to everyone around. Her eyes were lit up like Marinette hadn't seen in a long time.

"Hey, cheer up Ladybug. We're at a party!"

Ladybug smiled. "I have to go in a minute. My time is almost up."

Chat pouted, looking up at her with his big green eyes. "Pawlease, my Lady? You don't have to go right meow, do you? The fur-n is just beginning."

Ladybug groaned and shook her head. "Really? Fur-n? You have _cat_ to be kitten me."

Chat laughed so hard he couldn't breath, causing several people to look over at them. "You- you made a pun! A really good one!"

"I can be punny when I want to be." Ladybug said, turning red. She hadn't really meant to say that aloud.

 _I've been spending way too much time with him. He'll never let me live that one down._

" _Hey_ ," Tikki whispered in her ear. " _You should get out of there. Your Miraculous is going to lose power in less than a minute._ "

"I've got to go. I'm about to untransform."

Chat took her hand and kissed it. She rolled her eyes but let him and then pulled out her yo yo for a quick exit, but there was none.

She had nothing to swing up to. And they were in the middle of the crowd.

"Chat, I'm not going to be able to get away." She heard the panic in her own voice, but that didn't begin to cover her feelings. She was terrified.

Everything was fixing to come crashing down on her head.

Chat jumped over to the table and dug around in the bag of supplies, pulling out something long. He ran back over and pulled it over her.

"Here, cover up with this." She did, adjusting it and making sure she was fully covered.

"That's my extra tablecloth. What's going on?"

Ladybug heard the last beep and felt the light travel up her body, turning her back into plain old Marinette.

"Ladybug was having a little too much fun here and lost track of time. Her power has run out. I need to grab a few sweets and some cheese so she can recharge and get her out of here."

"Why doesn't she show her true self?" someone called out.

"Yeah! How can we trust you guys if you don't let us know who you are?"

Marinette sighed. The same thoughts traveled through her head nearly every day.

"What do you mean? We've saved you so far. Why does something as trivial as who we really are matter?" Chat countered them. She could feel him crouching down, ready to protect her.

She spoke up, not thinking about what she was saying. She was caught and she knew it, but maybe... maybe they could see reason. "If you really want to know, I'll show you. It will put all your lives at risk, though. The people we fight might kidnap you or your friends and force you to talk. Or my friends and family might become targets."

She paused and took a deep breath, trying to keep herself from crying. "I will never again be able to walk the streets without having somebody recognize me. The akuma attacks will probably become more frequent as they find out what pushes my buttons. I may end up being late to some attacks, depending on how many fans sit outside my door and wait for me to exit. My life will basically be over. But if you really want me to, I'll take off this table cloth."

Her breathing hitched as tears fell down her face. "I only ever wanted to help people."

Tikki flew up to her shoulder and sat as they waited for the crowd to do something. Nothing happened for a long moment. Then another beep sounded, startling them.

"You should go, Chat."

"Not without you, my Lady."

"You should take Ladybug and go." Manon spoke up. "I trust you both."

She heard murmurs of agreement from the crowd. "Yeah. I trust you too!" Their cries of encouragement overwhelmed her.

"Here Chat. Take this bag of cookies and cheese and go. Hopefully you can come back before my party ends. Oh, and please bring back Marinette."

"I will, but Ladybug has something to do. I'll see you later, little unicorn." Manon squealed and Marinette rolled her eyes, imagining the goofy grin on her partner.

Marinette felt Chat's arms around and her feet lift the ground as he extended his baton. After a moment they fell away and began running across the rooftops.

"Where would be a good place to untransfrom? I have about three minutes left."

"What about the high school? We can hide in the bathroom until our kwami's have their energy back. It's Saturday anyway. No one will be there."

Chat grunted in agreement and ran faster. As he ran, she became aware of his muscular body and her vulnerable position. When he picked her up, he had trapped her arms under the tablecloth as well, so she couldn't even hold on to him.

Not that he would drop her. He held her delicately but firmly, like she was something precious. All his flirty behavior raced through her mind, muddling her thoughts.

It made her heart race.

She shook her head slightly as she heard a door open. Chat ran down the empty halls until he made it to the bathroom. He set her down and closed the door, going into a stall himself.

Silence fell over them as she took the tablecloth off and a green light filled the room briefly. Marinette didn't really know what to say.

"Thank you, Chat."

"No problem, my Lady."

She sat down on the toilet, wiping the tears from her face. "I think I scared them."

"Those are the reasons you never wanted to tell me your identity, right? Everything you said?"

Marinette paused, looking over at the stall siding. "Well, that and more. There are so many reasons Chat. I don't want to accidentally hurt you. If I akumatized-"

"That would never happen. I can't see you ever accepting a deal with Hawk Moth."

"I'm human." she said quietly, handing Tikki the cookies he passed under the side. "I get upset. I have flaws. Who knows? Maybe one day I'll get so upset I would."

He was quiet for a long moment. "I still don't see you turning, Ladybug. Your anger seems like the kind you focus on tasks. I honestly don't think he could use you as an akuma."

She thought about it for a moment. "Who knows at this point. We're still no closer to him than we were when we started."

She heard Chat sigh. "You're right. He's too careful."

"Maybe next time we find a weaker one we should try taunting him directly? Maybe he'll slip up."

"That's a good idea, my Lady. We'll have to talk about it more later. I have a party to get to and you have a purrson to find."

Tikki nodded that she was ready to go and they transformed together. She folded up the tablecloth and handed it to him. "You sure do. Make sure you apologize to Manon for me. I didn't mean to ruin her party like that."

"I doubt you ruined her party. In fact, she seemed pretty happy. She was the one who made Ladybug have so much fun she forgot herself."

Ladybug laughed as Chat took off, headed back to the party. She walked out slower, thinking up a good cover story for Marinette.

 **Final note:** Hello everyone! Thank you so much for your time! I'm so glad so many people liked it! I'm honestly a little overwhelmed at the response I've gotten. I'm happy about it though, don't get me wrong!

I want to give a special shout out to those that reviewed and helped me come up with a rough draft for the rest of the story. You guys rock! I really hope you like where this is going. Especially the person that pointed out my mistake in naming. The one name I was lazy about and let autocorrect tell me was right. Thank you so much.

I'll try to keep all your questions and comments in mind while writing the next few chapters, so if something is confusing please let me know. I know so much more about what is going on than I can put on paper, and sometimes I leave important details out. 

And to the guests who commented: I'm not sure how to respond to your reviews individually, so I'll respond now. Thank you. And yes, this is my first fanfic, but I've written pretty much all my life. So I've had practice. I guess this fanfic is my way of thanking the show and fandom for getting me out of the writing blues I've been in.

I'm so glad I made some people emotional. That was the goal of the story; express emotion through words. I hope I can keep it up throughout, and feel free to comment if you feel I've lacked in some area. I want to make this enjoyable for everyone. 

In fact, feel free to comment anything you feel you need to. I've taken some pretty brutal workshops and will appreciate any constructive criticism you've got. I know I have a long way to go and I'm willing to learn.

Also, I don't think I'll be able to keep up this pace for very long. Sorry. I'll try seeing as I'm on break and litterally don't have anything better to do, but life happens.


	3. Chapter 3

Marinette smiled at Alya as she gushed about Ladybug. Even after all this time, all the one-on-one interviews, and all their little talks her fangirling did not diminish. In fact, it seemed to grow.

"I can't believe you were taken to that old, crumbling hotel. That seems almost as scary as Lady Nespar."

Marinette laughed. "I only put my foot through the floor once. It wasn't that bad."

"Whatever, girl. I'm just saying you're at least as brave as Ladybug and Chat Noir."

Marinette scoffed as they turned down the street to the bakery. Hairs rose on the back of her neck, making her stop and look around. She'd learned to trust those feelings while she was Ladybug.

"Something's not right, Alya. I-I think we should go." She backed down the street, putting her hand on her friend's arm and trying to pull her away.

"What do you mean? Everything looks perfectly normal." Alya stayed where she was, looking around.

Marinette didn't answer, watching as a man approached them. He was dressed in a deep blue suit. His eyes shone, although she couldn't say what color they were.

He stopped right in front of them and bowed. "Hello, my dear Marinette. How lovely it is to meet you." His voice was silky smooth, the kind you could listen to all day. Alya practically melted beside her. Marinette squeezed her arm slightly, making her stand back up.

He didn't feel right.

Marinette took another step and pulled Alya back. "He-Hello. Who are you? Why are you here?"

"Oh! Excuse my manners. I'm Temptation. Hawk Moth sent me."

Alya took a step back, looking shocked. "Another akuma? But there has never been more than one before."

Temptation laughed, showing them what was in his hand. "Hawk Moth is hoping there will be three, after our dear Marinette succumbs to this one."

A necklace hung from his fingertips. It was delicate, like something a high class lady would wear. A small wire butterfly charm wrapped around a diamond completed it. As they watched, a black butterfly landed on it, turning the whole necklace purple.

"Run!" Marinette screamed at Alya, pulling her along. They ducked into buildings and through alleyways, Marinette leading Alya. She ran around in a giant circle, headed back to the bakery.

Finally, she pushed Alya in through the back doors, bolting them. "What was that all about? Why would an akuma come after you?"

Marinette sighed, leaning against the door. "I'm guessing because I didn't accept his deal and become akumatized, but I ma-"

"What?! When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?" Alya asked, looking extremely worried.

"It was no big deal. It wasn't after me anyway. I think that's how I fought it off. And I was trying to comfort Chloe, so that helped. I was able to silence the voice fairly easily. Then, while I was trying to walk off my anger and sadness, Chat came. I gave the photo to him, to get the temptation away. I guess that's why it manifested now."

Marinette smiled at her own joke, but Alya frowned. "You could have gotten hurt! Why would yo-"

A knock on the door interrupted her. "Hello? Marinette? This is not the way a lady should be acting."

They both froze for a moment before Marinette pushed Alya upstairs. "Go! Get on your blog and update it! Tell them I need help!" She dashed out before Alya could protest, leaving the bakery by the front door.

Temptation came out of the alley, laughing. "Silly Marinette, don't you know I can find you anywhere you go?"

Marinette eyed him warily, backing up along the sidewalk. "You can track me?"

"Indeed." He held a hand towards her, a swirling black ball forming on his palm. "Now, why don't you join me?"

Marinette barely dodged the ball, ducking behind the edge of the bakery. She tried running again, but he appeared before her.

Without missing a beat Marinette rammed into him with her shoulder. He went down, crying out, but she rolled and continued running.

 _Where is that cat? Is he still with Manon?_

Another black ball barely missed her head. She began running erratically, ending up in the park hiding behind the fountain.

"Come on out, Marinette! You can't run forever."

Tikki peeked out of her purse. "You should transform, Mari. You can't beat him like this."

"I can't. He said he can track me. If this is just about me resisting him and not about my secret identity, he may figure it out. We can't let that happen." Tikki reluctantly agreed.

"Here." Marinette said, taking out her earrings. "If I turn, take them. If not, I'll put them in before purifying the butterflies."

"But-"

"No buts." Marinette said, shutting her purse as Temptation walked around the fountain.

"I'll have to give you some credit. That was a good move back there. For a girl."

Marinette winced. "That wasn't a compliment at all, you know." She dodged the next few attacks he sent her way. "I'm so much more than just 'a girl'."

She knew the moment she miss-stepped. It seemed like it happened in slow motion. He smirked as he threw the attack, hitting her in the chest. She landed right before it hit and tried to get out of the way, but she was a moment too late.

The black energy enveloped her, sending dark tendrils through her skin and deep into her mind. Marinette fell to her knees as it swirled around her until it was all absorbed. Dark thoughts and a deep, uncontrollable anger coursed through her veins.

She distantly heard someone call her name and laughter, but she couldn't focus on them. A list of people danced through her head, along with everything they had ever did wrong. She felt the anger grow, trying to drown out all other thoughts.

Alya popped up, causing her anger to growl in her mind.

 _She kept secrets from me. How dare she!_

 _But she's always been there for me._ A small voice at the back of her mind said. _And I've kept the biggest secret of all from her. Plus, I actually knew that one._

 _I should be protecting her._

Her anger diminished some, instead turning into determination. More people and situations ran through her mind, but she focused on the positive things. After every thought she repeated her mantra.

 _I protect them, not hurt them._

Eventually she looked up, most of her anger gone. Chat danced around Temptation, trying to get to her.

"I'm sorry, you pathetic vermin. She belongs to me now."

Marinette got up, wincing when she saw her favorite pair of skinny jeans had a rip in them. "Dang. I just got these, too."

"Marinette! Are mew okay?"

She forced herself to look angry. "I am, no thanks to you."

Temptation smiled, holding out the necklace. "Then join me, Marinette. Together we can take this vermin down, and his little Ladybug friend."

Marinette smiled at him, then hit his hand. "Chat!" she called as Temptation accidentally flung the necklace.

Chat caught it, making Temptation cry out. "Why? Why would you do that?"

"I never wanted to hurt anyone." She said, backing away. Temptation snarled and threw another attack at her, but Chat rushed in and knocked his hand away.

"Run Marinette. Ladybug has something to do today, but I'm more than capable of keeping this guy entertained for a while."

Marinette nodded to him, but she didn't run. "I'm pretty sure he can teleport to me. Of course, last time he did I knocked him over, but still. I'd rather not go through that again. I'll stay and help."

Chat looked at her as Temptation winced. "That's not a good idea, Purrincess."

"I'll be f-"

Temptation disappeared and Marinette jumped and rolled forward, towards Chat. She stopped and looked behind her, seeing Temptation fuming. He began throwing more balls, smaller ones that were harder to dodge. As he threw them they began to get darker and swirl harder.

A pink butterfly outline appeared around his face, warning them. Temptation grinned, the look in his eyes murderous.

"Hawk Moth says he's coming after you, little Marinette. Even if you purify me, more will come. He says you'll be the one to bring down Ladybug and Chat Noir."

Marinette smiled right back, determination hardening her smile. "Tell him I'll be ready. I'll purify the akuma myself if I have to."

The duo braced themselves as he ran at them, fists covered in black energy. Chat blocked, forcing Marinette to back off to the side. She could see Chat growing visibly angry with each hit he blocked. She waited, dodging out of the way, but they ignored her.

Chat blocked a hit and she cried out to warn him, but she was a second to late. Temptation hit him hard, knocking him back. Chat's expression didn't change, but she didn't want to see how long he could hold out against Temptation's emotional barrage.

She had to do something, before Chat lost control.

He got back up and faced Temptation, throwing her a smile that said he was okay. They went at it again, and Marinette took sneaked around behind the akuma. Both of them were too caught up in the fight to notice her, so she stopped and looked for where the akuma was hidden.

The only thing that kept drawing her eye was his hat, so she prepared to grab it. She waited until Chat blocked another attack to jump up and snatch his hat off hits head. Temptation cried out, turning back around to face her.

Chat moved fast, blocking him and throwing him to the ground.

"Rip the hat, Marinette! It will release the butterfly and free him."

"Not until you calm down, Chat. We can't purify it and it would be bad if it infected you."

Chat took a deep breath, but before he could say anything Temptation threw another energy ball at him. "Hurry Mari!" he cried, facing Temptation again.

"You know you've always wondered what would happen if you used your Cataclysm on a person. Why not me? Do you have the guts?" Temptation asked. He held his arms out wide, as if accepting death.

Chat cried out and hit him with the baton. "Enough!"

Marinette looked around for something, anything, that could help her partner. Her eyes scanned along, much like they did when she was Ladybug. Ideas formed in her head, some of them impractical. Finally, something caught her eyes.

"Can you keep him busy for a moment, Chat? I'm not Ladybug, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

Chat grunted as Temptation hit him again. She ran over to her favorite clothing store and stumbled in the door. People looked at her wide eyed as she ran over to the counter.

"I need something to keep the butterfly in until Ladybug gets here. I have a feeling glass will be better, but I'll take anything you've got."

"I have a few half burned candles with lids. Will they work?" One of the elderly ladies asked, waving to the shelf behind her.

"They're going to have to." Marinette said as she grabbed two of them. She thanked them and ran out, seeing Chat destroy a canopy.

"Please work," she whispered, ripping the hat. The black butterfly came out, flapping around her head before heading towards Chat.

"Oh no you don't!" She cried, trapping it in the jar. She watched as it fluttered around the jar before settling down on the bottom.

She looked up as Chat stood over the young man who was once Temptation. He walked over, his posture tense.

"Good thinking." He said, smiling, but Marinette knew better. She could see it in his eyes and the white knuckles gripping his baton. The fact he didn't use a pun cemented how upset he was.

She handed the jar over to him, watching as he hid it in his pockets with the necklace. "You know, you can talk to me if you want. I know the dark magic he threw at us is intense."

Chat looked at her, his smile fading. "He sure did live up to his name, didn't he?"

Marinette put her hand on his arm without saying anything. His head bowed for a moment, before he looked up into her eyes.

"Where do you find your strength, Marinette? That's twice now you've outwitted him."

Marinette smiled, looking out at Paris. She couldn't tell him everything, but hopefully what she could say would be enough. "I think about you guys, actually. How I don't want to cause any trouble for you. How I don't want to hurt you. I think about my family and my friends, since most akuma go after them."

When she turned back, she was startled to meet his eyes. Emotion flashed in his eyes too fast for her to identify, but he seemed much better.

"Thank you for your help once again, Purrincess. I'll be sure to get this purified when my Lady gets back in town."

"I should be thanking you, Chat. You saved me yet again."

Chat snorted, his ring beeping. "I'm pretty sure you'd have done just fine without me. You seemed to have it all under control."

Marinette laughed as he sprinted away. Even though the anger was still there, she could see him working through it. It still bothered her that he didn't crack puns other than the one that came naturally, but she was happy he seemed back to his old self.

When he was gone she went over to the victim and talked to them, helping him through his problems. He had been the one a girl cheated on her boyfriend with, and it hurt. She could see it did. But she helped talk him through it in a way Ladybug never could, and end the end he was better for it.

By the time she was finished it was nearly dark. She walked about half way home before Tikki reminded her about the akuma. She nodded tiredly and transformed, heading to their meeting spot.

Chat was already there, looking out over Paris. Ladybug sighed and sat down next to him, rubbing the back of her neck. "Sorry I missed out on all the action. I couldn't get away from my parents."

"No problem, my Lady. A friend helped me stop Temptation." His lips curled into a familiar smirk as she laughed.

"I saw the news. Who is she, your new love interest?" She asked playfully as she took the jar. Chat looked stricken.

"I'm sorry, it's none of my business." Ladybug apologized.

"It's okay. I was actually just wondering the same thing. It seems my love for you has been divided, and I'm not sure what to do about it."

Ladybug watched as he turned towards her, a little bit of fear on his face. How could she tell him that she felt the same way without revealing herself? Would it be okay to tell him she liked him?

Her heart sank. It would be way too dangerous now that she's been targeted.

"I don't know what to say. Does she like you, too?"

"I think so, at least slightly." He looked down and she realized he was still clutching the baton with white knuckles.

"You can talk to me you know. I don't know what was going through your head, but you can vent to me."

He nodded and met her eyes. They were tear-filled.

"I thought – I thought you would be my temptation. I thought you would be what I was fighting against, but you weren't. Maybe earlier, but now – Now my heart belongs to someone else. I'm so sorry."

Ladybug smiled and hugged him. "No need to be sorry, Chat. It couldn't work out between us. We have all of Paris to think about, and there can't be a choice."

She held Chat as his heart broke, hers breaking silently along with it. She would never tell him about her not-so-small crush on him, or how she found his jokes annoyingly endearing.

She would never let him know she broke her own heart.

"I should go to her. She's waiting."

"Okay. But first, wasn't there another one?"

Chat nodded, handing her the necklace. "Here you go, my Lady."

Ladybug laughed and broke the chain, freeing the black butterfly. Two quick purifications and a Miraculous Cleansing later, she was even more exhausted.

"I think I better head back home. It's been a long day. You should get some rest, too."

"I will later. Goodbye, my Lady."

His smile was still a little broken when she left, but there was little she could do about it. He would need to see his new lady friend for that.

… She was going to have to get over her jealousy fast.

Marinette finally landed in they alley of the bakery and untransformed, going in the back way and heading up the stairs with a groan. She was sore in places she didn't think could get sore.

"Marinette?" Her mom called as she stopped in the middle of the stairs to rest.

"I'm home. A little bruised but fine."

Her mom and dad hurried down, helping her up the stairs and sitting her down at the kitchen table.

"What's going on?" Sabine asked, pushing a plate of food towards her.

Marinette grimaced and told them about how she was almost akumatized and how she escaped. And how Hawk Moth wanted revenge. They both listened silently, occasionally looking at one another.

"So basically we need to prepare for the worst, right?"

She nodded, sad that they had gotten involved. _I tried to keep my two lives separate for so long. I'm so sorry._

They broke into smiles. "Good job resisting him. I'm not sure I could have done that."

"Me either. You are so special, little one." Her dad said, rubbing her head like he used to when she was little.

"Hey!" she said, ducking under his arm. "You guys aren't mad?"

"No. We're just happy nothing happened to you. How can we be mad when you saved the city by yourself?"

Marinette felt a little uneasy about that comment, but they didn't notice. After she finished eating she got up to do the dishes, but her mom shooed her away.

"You have someone else to talk to. Alya's still up in your room."

Marinette winced, realizing she had forgotten about her friend. "I see. You'll leave the punishment to her, huh?"

Her mom smiled and shooed her upstairs. She groaned but walked up them, silently dreading what she'd find on the other side of the door.

She opened it, holding her breath, only to find Alya passed out on her bed.

Marinette sighed, opening her purse and hiding Tikki in her drawer. She handed her some cookies from the stash. Tikki silently handed her back her Miraculous and sat down in the drawer. She looked happy to finally get something to eat.

Marinette put her earrings back in as she walked over to the bed, gently waking Alya.

"Hey, Alya."

Alya bolted upright, fear in her eyes. She blinked up at Marinette for a moment before crushing her in a big hug.

"You're okay! I was so worried when you didn't come back."

"It was a long fight. Then I had to get back. God, I'm sore." she said, but continued hugging her friend.

"I know. And he appeared right after Ladybug said she had somewhere to be."

Marinette sighed, stretching as her friend let her go. "I doubt that's coincidence."

"You're probably right. Which leads me to: what are you hiding? Why didn't you tell me you almost turned into one of those akuma?"

Marinette sighed and sat back against the wall, closing her eyes. "I didn't want you to worry. I didn't know he would come after me specifically."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. It was right after the funeral. Anyone could have been akumatized. I saw the butterfly and couldn't ignore it. When I got there, Chloe was crying. It infected a picture of him. Adrien. Then we talked for like, ever, and then Chat showed up and I gave it to him. End of story. Well, until Temptation showed up."

"Why else would he come after you?"

"What do you mean?" Marinette asked, cracking one eye open to look at her.

"Right before Temptation interrupted us, you were about to say something."

Marinette closed her eyes and shook her head, too tired to think back to what it was. "I'm tired. I think I remember babbling about something, but I'm sure it's nothing."

She felt Alya take her hand and sat up, opening her eyes. "Please. I know you've been hiding something for the longest. I've been patient, and tried to stay out of it despite my journalist's instincts. But please, tell me. If something were to happen to you I would never forgive myself. If you have somehow gotten caught up in this because of me..."

Alya began crying silent tears as Marinette fought with herself. She had been hiding so long, it was natural to just brush it aside. But now, she wasn't sure.

Finally, she sighed. "It's not my secret to give, I'm afraid. It's Tikki's."

Alya opened her mouth, but she was interrupted. "I say tell her! We need all the help we can get now."

Marinette looked up to see her little red friend poking her head out of the drawer. "Well now I can't hide it. Why don't you come on over and introduce yourself properly?"

Alya jumped as Tikki flew over to Marinette's shoulder. "Hi!" She said pleasantly, still holding a cookie in her hand. "I'm Tikki. It's nice to finally be able to talk to you."

Marinette still wasn't too sure about revealing herself, but it was too late now. She brushed the negative thoughts away and watched one of her worst fears playing out in front of her.

Alya watched in fascination as Tikki shoved the whole cookie into her mouth. "Hi. I guess I'm missing something here. What are you? And what are you doing here?"

"I-I think it would be easier to show, then tell. Please, please don't hate me. Today is an example of why I couldn't say anything before."

Marinette crawled out of bed, much to Alya's confusion. She took another deep breath and shouted "Tikki, Spots on!"

The look on Alya's face was priceless as she watched her best friend turn into her idol. Marinette was super tired, but she couldn't help but pose for her friend. She felt a little self conscious about it, but one look at her friend's face was worth it.

"You're Ladybug," she said, staring at her with a dumbfounded expression. Marinette nodded and untransformed, flopping back down on the bed.

"Please don't kill me."

"You're Ladybug. My best friend is Ladybug."

"Please, please don't kill me. I didn't know how to tell you and it wasn't the right time and I didn't want you to get hurt and please don't hurt me and-" Marinette rambled, her voice muffled by the bed.

Tikki landed on her back, patting it comfortingly as she rambled on. Alya was still staring at them, no doubt trying to wrap her head around the fact her best friend happened to be her favorite superhero.

"Speaking of which, I can't believe you took your Miraculous off in battle. You could have been hurt."

Marinette sat up as Tikki flew around to face her. "You know if Hawk Moth gets them it's game over. There was no guarantee I'd be able to defy him a second time. I'd rather get hurt then see you get taken. Besides, Chat was on his way."

"But how did you know that? How did you know Chat was coming?"

Marinette smiled at Alya, who was once again facinated by Tikki. "You. I sent you to contact him. I couldn't contact him outside the suit so I sent you to do it."

"But you didn't change into Ladybug and-"

Marinette shook her head. "No, I didn't. He had 'Marinette focused' powers, so if I did and he tried to teleport away, he would appear right beside me. It wouldn't take much to put one and one together to make two. And how can an akuma have person focused powers anyway? Why didn't any of the others go after Ladybug or Chat Noir?"

"They usually don't have people specific powers. I've only ever seen them 3 times, including Temptation. The suit protects you from those types of powers, but it seems like you can still be caught without it. Which makes hiding your powers even more important."

"Could he be going after me because he knows I'm Ladybug? Or is it just that I'm resistant to his magic and defeated him, even if it's in a small way?"

Tikki shook her head. "I don't know. It could be either, really."

Marinette sighed and flopped back down on her bed. "Why did my life have to get even more complicated? I thought having a secret life would be easier!"

Alya laughed. "I'm guessing the fact you couldn't contact Chat outside the suit means you don't know who he is, right?"

Marinette nodded and groaned again. "Yes, and that just makes it more complicated! He tried to reveal himself to me yesterday after telling me Adrien is still alive and I think I like Chat a-"

"What?! Adrien is still alive?"

Marinette smiled into the blanket. "I know, right? Chat told me himself yesterday. After realizing the fact I didn't know nearly made me into an akuma, but still. He's still alive. But I keep picturing thousands of scenarios of why he would just up and leave, each one worse than the rest."

Alya was quiet for a moment, sitting back. "So he's back. Are you okay?"

Marinette nodded. "I'm okay. As I said, I think I began falling in love with Chat. Without Adrien to crush over, I began noticing him. I tried so hard to stop myself, but eventually he got to me. And as more than my partner or friend. And now he has someone else and I'm jelous. Really jelous. But I guess that's what I get for waiting so long. And we wouldn't work out anyway."

Alya rubbed her back, murmuring comfortingly until Marinette was almost asleep. Finally, she got up. "I wish I could stay longer, but I have to be up early in the morning. I got my car while you were away, so you don't have to worry. I'll be back to talk tomorrow, okay? Right after my interview."

Marinette nodded and forced herself to get up. She hugged her friend, but was too sore to see her out. The suit really did protect them quite a bit, from the feel of things.

Finally, she turned off the main light and laid down on the bed. Her eyes closed and she was out, Tikki tucked safely in a hand made bed in her drawer.

 **Author's Note:** So sorry it's been a little while. Life has been... well, life. But here it is! I've also planned out where I want the story to go, but I don't know how many chapters it will be.

I've also fallen behind on answering comments and pms. I'm really sorry about that. More than likely I won't be able to answer them all. If you have a question or a critique, feel free to pm me. I'll be sure to read it, and answer or address it eventually. Other than that, I'm going to be putting most of my time into either classes or writing this. So if I don't answer, I'm sorry. I read it and really appreciate your support, but I have calculus homework.

Also, to those of you who have favorited / followed my story, thank you! I'm still in awe of how supporting everyone has been. I'll do the best I can, and I hope everyone enjoys.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Sorry it's short! The next one will be longer and more action filled, promise!

Marinette rolled over, burying her head in the pillows. She felt dead, like she hadn't gotten any sleep in forever.

She opened one eye to look at the time, but it was still dark in her room. She couldn't see anything.

And someone was blocking the clock.

She slipped her hand under the pillow, searching for her flashlight and trying not to panic.

 _Is it another akuma? Why haven't they tried to attack me? Is Tikki still safe?_

She found the flashlight and gripped it tight, preparing to jump up.

"Is there anything I can do?" The person whispered.

Marinette jumped up, swinging the flashlight and turning it on. Her heart thumped wildly as it found it's mark. It hit something hard, causing the light to flicker.

The person rolled forward, landing in a crouch. "Me-ouch! That hurt!"

"Chat?" she asked, blinking. He got up and smiled, holding a hand out to block the light from his eyes.

"The one and only."

Marinette melted as she registered her partner. She heard the flashlight hit the ground as she leaned back against the wall.

"Are you okay?" Chat asked, walking over and picking it up.

She smiled at him. "Now that I've had the daylights scared out of me, I think so. What are you doing here?"

Chat fidgeted with the flashlight. "I told you yesterday I would come back. I couldn't say anything about it with the akumas around, but, well... You left your door open. I thought it was an invitation. Which, even if it was, you shouldn't do. If someone else had found it, you would be in big trouble. And when I walked in, you almost fell of the bed. You seemed to be having a nightmare which went away when I was near. I was debating whether or not it was akuma related, since you suddenly became an akuma magnet."

Marinette yawned and opened her eyes. "I don't think it is, but thanks. I've had them for quite a while now."

He sat down beside her, handing the flashlight back. "I'm sorry," he said, looking down. Even his ears flattened back against his head, making him look adorable. "I-I guess I'll go then."

She ignored the fluttering in her stomach and grabbed his hand. Tears threatened to fall as she leaned forward and put her forehead on his back. "Please. Don't." Her voice came out thick with emotion, but he didn't move. "Stay."

Marinette backed up a little and felt him turn, but she didn't look up. She bit her lip and waited for his reply, battling with the fear inside her heart.

It felt like she was asking too much. He told Ladybug he had someone to see tonight. Maybe she was keeping him?

"If that is what you wish, Purrincess, your knight will obey."

Without thinking Marinette leaned in and put her head on his shoulder. She felt his arms wrap around her. Warm tears slid down her face as she found herself in his lap.

"Do you want to talk?" he asked, squeezing her gently. She felt her heart break all over again and took a deep breath to try to steady herself.

It didn't work. Her breathing turned ragged as she shook her head. He tightened his grip and just let her cry it out.

When she was finally done, his ring beeped. "I guess that means you've got to go, huh?" she asked, sitting up.

His arms didn't slip from around her. "You don't happen to have any cheese, do you?"

Marinette looked at him curiously. "I'm pretty sure we have a wheel of cheddar down in the bakery. Why?"

"If you'd like, I can stay. If you still need me."

She felt her heart flutter again. _I'll always need you, Chat,_ she thought. Instead, she nodded.

"If you don't mind. Or have anywhere else to be."

A green light lit up the room and Marinette gasped as she shut her eyes. "Not at all. I'm here as long as you need me."

"Gah! Shouldn't you have told her to get the cheese first?" a voice grumpily spoke up from about her shoulder. She jumped, turning to face it but keeping her eyes shut.

"This insufferable little guy is Plagg. He's what gives me my power. You met him briefly the other day."

"H-hi," she stuttered and felt herself blush.

"Hi."

She could almost feel the kwami's eyes on her. Did she live up to his expectations? Could he sense she was Ladybug?

Did it matter?

"The cheese should be in the bakery refrigerator. You can also grab one loaf of cheesy bread, but only one. And be careful – I don't know if my parents are in bed yet."

She bit her lip, thinking. "When you get back, look in the second drawer to the right. It has my leftover cloth scraps. Feel free to make yourself a little bed. I'll make a proper one later this week I-If you'd like one, that is."

 _That way Tikki can talk to him._ She heard Chat chuckle.

"You missed the little dance he did. That usually means 'thanks.'"

Marinette laughed. "It's okay; he's a cat, right? They are supposed to be a little cryptic." She thought for a moment, before motioning to where she thought her scarves were hanging. "Would you mind handing me one of the scarves hanging somewhere behind you? So I'm not tempted to look?"

"I still trust you, even after what happened today. And Ladybug's speech. But if you don't feel comfortable, I'm not going to push it."

She felt him lean over, and something cloth fell into her hands. "Even though I think it's stupid."

As she tied it around her eyes, she felt the tiredness come back. Without warning she yawned.

"How about we lie down? That way if you fall asleep I won't have to stop you from hitting the floor?"

She nodded and laid down, pulling the blanket over her. He laughed softly and laid down next to her on top of the blanket.

After a few moments of silence he spoke up. "So. You wanna talk about something?"

She thought for a moment. "Do you like fish, or does the cat thing not go that far?"

His laughter was warm as he answered. "I do, but I liked fish before, so I don't know if that counts."

They talked about a lot as time seemed to slip away from her. She learned a lot about him, and told him quite a few things about herself as well. Marinette had to fight off sleep, but it was worth it. Chat was kind and warm and made her laugh quite a few times.

 _He has someone else,_ she reminded herself, but it didn't matter. She had fallen for him, and he was just as out of reach as Adrien had been. It broke her heart, but she wouldn't say a word. She owed him that much.

Eventually, she felt him get up. She reached out blindly, her hand finding his arm. "Wait until I fall asleep, please. The nightmares..."

"Don't worry, Princess. I'm not leaving. I'm just going to make sure Plagg hasn't eaten you out of house and home yet."

She laughed softly, letting her hand fall. "At least if he does, I'll have an excuse to go to 'Top of the Cracker' tomorrow instead of next week."

He laughed with her, before getting up and heading downstairs. The wind howled outside, reminding her of that fateful day.

 _"_ _Bye bye, little butterfly." Ladybug said, watching as the freshly purified butterfly flew off. She suddenly remembered and turned around, looking for her partner. He was no where to be found._

 _"_ _What happened?" the victim asked. He was young, around seven or eight, and had turned all the adults back into kids. She quickly dealt with him, teaching him a lesson and showing him an appropriate way to take out anger._

 _As she helped the boy, her uneasy feeling grew. After she was done she dashed off, searching the streets._

 _Ladybug was certain Chat had been hurt, but maybe he wasn't. And the Miraculous Cleansing Light healed pretty much everything, except for small cuts. He should be fine now if he was hurt in the first place._

 _That didn't stop the feeling in her gut, telling her something wasn't right._

 _She came across Adrien leaning against a fence. Once again, the feeling overwhelmed her._

 _"_ _Are you okay?" she asked, stopping briefly._

 _Adrien nodded, looking a little sheepish. "I'm fine. Just resting. I had to high-tail it out of there when the akuma came. Although you were amazing, Ladybug."_

 _She waved off the praise, looking around distractedly._ Your crush is right in front of you. Say something!

 _But Chat was the one filling her mind. She was certain he was hurt, and she couldn't rest until she knew he was okay._

 _Even if it was all in her mind._

 _"_ _Is everything okay, Ladybug? You seem distracted."_

 _She turned back to the boy in front of her. "I guess I am. Did you happen to see where Chat ran off to? I need to talk to him."_

 _"_ _Yeah. He ran off towards the Eiffel Tower. But you don't have to be worried, Ladybug. I saw your Miraculous Cleansing Light heal him."_

 _She chewed her lip, looking down._ So he was hurt.

 _"_ _I'm still worried. He just ran off without telling me anything! What would have happened if the akuma got away and he was seriously injured? I don't think I could forgive myself if something were to happen. We're partners."_

 _Adrien shook his head. "I'm sure everything is fine. Don't worry."_

 _Ladybug sighed, nodding. "Thanks. I needed to hear that. I'm still going after him, but thank you anyway."_

 _She left him, searching the streets. Even after untransforming she still searched. She skipped the rest of school, trying to make sure her partner was okay._

 _When she finally gave up and looked at her phone, her world changed._

 _Adrien was gone._

 _And she hadn't been there to protect him._

She heard Chat come back into the room and snuggled down into her blankets. He crawled back onto her bed and flopped down beside her.

"I'm so sorry! He really did eat everything, although your cheesy bread is safe. For now. He keeps begging me to pay for another loaf."

Marinette laughed, but she heard the strain in her voice. "Don't worry about it. As I said, I can use it as an excuse."

"What happened? Are you okay?" He pressed closer, as if trying to protect her from her own thoughts.

"I'm fine."

"Yeah, and the wet marks on your scarf say otherwise. If you want to talk, I'll listen. Who am I going to tell? Plagg?"

She giggled and flipped onto her back, taking a deep breath. "What did Temptation tempt you with?"

He was quiet for a moment, making her heart stop. _I hope that wasn't too personal_.

"A lot of things. Some of which I don't really want to admit. Like when he was talking about my Cataclysm. I've wondered what would happen if I used it on a person before, but more of a horrified way. Especially since the Dark Cupid incident."

"And I've told you it won't work on living things. There's literally nothing to worry about." Plagg called from across the room.

Marinette spoke up before Chat could respond. "I think I understand a little. You know with your brain that you can't do it, but it's different when you are faced with it. Each time you use your power, something crumbles away. It's hard not to wonder."

"Exactly. And if someone like Dark Cupid were to control me again, who knows? Maybe my power will change and it will hurt someone."

Marinette nodded in complete understanding. Of course, she couldn't say it, but she felt it.

"What about you? What did he tempt you with?"

"Anger, mostly. All I could see were people who've done me wrong. Chloe, back when I was in school. Alya, keeping secrets from me. Not big ones, and ones I already knew, but secrets none the less."

She paused, taking another deep breath. "And pain. I could hurt those that hurt me, no matter how petty their action was."

His hand found hers in the dark as her breathing became ragged again. "I can't stand the thought of hurting someone. I've always tried to help people. That's all I've ever wanted to do. How could I have those thoughts?"

"Hey, that wasn't you. That was someone else, trying to get you to accept his deal. He's pure evil, I'm almost positive. He was trying to twist your pure heart into something dark and unrecognizable."

"It doesn't matter, Chat. The attacks only amplified what's inside me. He didn't suddenly start making me hate people I didn't know. Which means somewhere inside me, the thought exists. _I want to hurt people._ I'm scared just thinking about it."

She felt Chat pull her into another hug. "No. Absolutely not, Marinette. Stop that line of thought right now. So what if you've thought about taking someone's pencil or didn't hold the elevator for them. You're human. It's okay to think like that. Now if you wanted to run around throwing knives at people, we'd have a problem. But as I see it, you are one of the two kindest, bravest, strongest people I know."

"But I can't have those kinds of thoughts, not now. If I succumb to Hawk Moth, it's game over."

She felt a finger pressed against her lips. "No more. I won't let that happen. You're safe."

"Chat-"

"No more. Not tonight. Just rest. We can talk more later, probably tomorrow. I won't be going anywhere."

"Okay," she said, letting his warmth soothe her for the moment. He started humming, and soon she found herself drifting off.

"You have nothing to worry about, Princess. Ladybug and I will protect you."

A pang of guilt hit her. _I have to tell him. Now, before I lose my nerve. He has to know. It's time._

She tried to open her mouth to tell him, but sleep was already taking a hold of her. "Chat... I need... to tell you... something..."

"Shhh. It can wait until tomorrow."

She sighed, but couldn't fight sleep anymore. Her thoughts drifted, and not even Chat talking to Plagg could bring her back. It wasn't until he said something punny to Plagg that she realized he had been serious this entire time.

But it was too late to ask if something was wrong. Sleep pulled her under and, for the first time in years, her dreams were untroubled.

 **Author's Note:** Hi guys! Sorry this update is late. It's been... Well...

I'm afraid I've fallen into a rather depressive mood lately. Which means not a whole lot is getting done on the story writing front. I've been having some amazing head-cannon (I think that's what they are called?) ideas, but haven't been able to work on a full length story. So if you see a bunch of oneshots pop up, that's not me abandoning this story. That's me trying to work my way through them so I can get back to this one.

Also, I'm sorry if it's not the best. I'm better at action and intrigue than the quiet parts. It took me a long time to figure out how to make this believable. I will be going back and fixing some mistakes and flow errors, but I will let you know if I change anything.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to review or pm me.

Lastly, I want to thank each and every one of you. You've all been so wonderful and patient.

Thank you all so much!


	5. Chapter 5

**Author Notes:** As always, usual gush at the end. Also, football as in soccer, not American football. Chips are fries, at least to my understanding. I tried doing my research, but if I made a mistake please point it out. I can't actually go to the restaurant, so I'm guessing and using online reviews. I really want to go, though.

I don't own any of the characters, Miraculous Ladybug, or places that are based on real life.

When Marinette woke up the next morning, the scarf was still in place. She rubbed her eyes through the fabric and sat up.

"Chat?" she asked quietly, reaching out over where he had been laying.

The spot was warm, but empty.

"He left not long ago, but he stayed with you ll night. It was a little funny when your mom came in though. Plagg barely got him in the closet before she came up."

Marinette undid the knot and pulled off the scarf, wincing at the bright sunshine. "What time is it?"

"Almost noon, I think." Tikki replied, flying over to the clock. "Yeah, three minutes until noon."

"And he just left? I'll have to remember to thank him. Do you think he would like some cookies from the bakery?"

Tikki took the scarf and put it away as her charge tried to wake up. "I bet he will. Especially if you do something goofy with them, like make a paw print one."

Marinette laughed, stretching. "I bet you're right. Although that may give him pun fuel..."

Her cell started ringing and she picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey Marinette! I'm sorry I ran out like that yesterday."

"It's okay. What's up?"

"I only have a few minutes before my interview, but I need to know if you're coming over tonight with Tikki. I have so many questions!"

Mari laughed. "Of course! Unless Hawk Moth tries to get in the way, but both Lady Nespar and Temptation were rather powerful. Maybe he needs to recharge?"

"Don't count on it. With everything that's been going on, it's better to be safe than sorry. Which means, stay safe in your civilian form as well. I'll see you later tonight then. Bye!"

Marinette sighed as her best friend hung up on her and rubbed her temples. Tonight was going to be a non-stop barrage of questions.

"You should have said we were busy, so you would have more time to prepare."

"I know. But I-"

"Marinette?" Her mom called up, cutting her off. "Are you up yet? We need to talk!"

"Yes! Coming down now!"

Her breathing hitched a little as she looked at Tikki. Her kwami nodded and motioned for her to head downstairs.

 _Please, please. Just let this be about the missing cheese._ She begged silently as she went downstairs. Both her parents were sitting at the table, watching. Walking over, she noted how their eyes tracked her.

This was going to be bad.

"Before you say anything, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to eat all the cheese, but-"

Her father shook his head, looking a little confused. "What? When? Well, it doesn't matter. That's not what this is about. We need to discuss our attack plan for the akumas."

"Our attack plan?" Marinette asked, sitting down.

"We are sending you out of the country." Her mother said, sitting straight up.

"What? You can't do that!"

"We can and we are. It's not safe for you here anymore." Her mom looked up at her with sad eyes. "Please, we only want to protect you."

"What if Hawk Moth is expecting that, and sends someone out to get me? There will be no Ladybug and Chat Noir to protect me then."

"We've thought about that. That's why you are going to live with your Aunt Sharon. She's not blood related, so he won't find her if he starts searching."

Marinette sat back, stunned. She couldn't even find the words to dispute them. She was just angry.

And this time, the Miraculous Cure couldn't fix it.

"You leave tonight."

"But what about you guys? He could try and-"

"We leave tomorrow. They only had one seat available for tonight."

Marinette abruptly got up and ran upstairs. Tears burned behind her eyes as she heard her parents talking in the dining room.

Tikki watched as she threw on clothes and grabbed her purse. "What's going on?"

"I need to talk to someone, before I attract Hawk Moth's attention. We're going to 'Top of the Cracker'."

She picked up her phone and tried to call Alya, but as expected it went to voice mail. "Alya, it's me. I'm going to need you to come over tonight. ASAP. My parents are trying to send me overseas and- I need you. When you get off. I'm going to go get some cheese right now, but I should be back about the time you are."

Tikki grabbed a cookie and flew into her purse as she left her room. Her dad stopped her.

"Where are you going?"

"I told you. I ate all the cheese. You're still going to have to make cheesy bread later. I'm going to go get some." Her voice was monotone, but she didn't care. She just needed to get out of there.

She ducked under his arm and ran downstairs. She grabbed a cookie off the counter as she passed, not looking at her mom.

They didn't know the reason she needed to stay, but that didn't stop her from feeling angry. And that anger made her scared. Hawk Moth already had an eye on her, so would he see her moments of weakness?

She vented to Tikki as she walked, letting out most of her anger in the process. By the time she was a block away from her favorite cheese shop, she was calm again. It worried her that she could rile so easily.

Apparently, it worried Tikki as well. "This isn't like you, Marinette. Is something wrong?"

"I don't know. Something feels off, but I can't quite place it. Do you think Temptation planted something? Maybe there is another akuma out there trying to manipulate me."

"Maybe he planted something, but I doubt there was another one. Three akumas in one day? That's a little much."

"If we push it and pump you full of sweets, we can do three transformations in a day. Who's to say he's not the same way?"

Tikki pondered this as Mari opened the door. Mrs. Harlech, one of her father's old friends, peeked around the corner.

"Oh. Hi Marinette. I'll call the boy to come help you."

She disappeared into the back room, leaving Marinette to walk the shop. Marinette's family has been getting their cheese from 'Top of the Cracker' for as long as she could remember.

 _"_ _Only the freshest, sharpest cheddar ever goes on our cheesy bread. And don't you forget it."_ _her dad said, breaking off a piece of their latest wheel and handing it to her._

Marinette smiled at the fond memory, looking down at the old, battered counter. Tears fell down her cheek, splashing on to the counter below.

 _It just isn't fair. I'm a good girl. I get good grades, stay on top of the work I do at the bakery. I've never been late on a delivery and keep Paris safe. All while trying to learn new designing techniques and keeping on top of the latest trends in fashion. And I used to help run the search parties when we were looking for Adrien. Why can't I get a lucky break? Why can't I get a week to myself, just for once? To recover?_

She heard someone and wiped her eyes before looking up. Ace took one look at her and called out to Mrs. Harlech.

"I'm taking an early lunch!" He jumped the counter, putting his hand on Marinette's shoulder and leading her out.

"But you just got here!" she said, coming out of the back room. Ace just waved as he pushed Marinette outside.

"So, where would you like to go?" He asked, putting his arm around her and moving down the street. "My treat."

"I can't possibly," she began, but one look from his dark blue eyes cut her off. "Fine. How about Dédé la frite just up the road?"

"Good choice." He said, taking off his jacket and draping it around her shoulders. She shivered, realizing how cold it was. "I've been craving some chips."

They got there and were seated. Ace chatted with their server while Marinette looked through the menu. She finally decided on some fish and chips, setting it down.

Ace's eyes lit up as he argued with the server over who was going to win the football match. His black hair fell in a pattern reminiscent of Chat's, although the color and length were all wrong.

Ace started working at 'Top of the Cracker' almost three years ago. At first, Marinette was a little wary of him. But, just like that insufferable cat, he had worked his way into her heart.

Marinette paused that thought, not wanting to complicate her love life anymore.

 _Isn't two guys enough to be agonizing over?_

He looked over, winking, as the she gave her order. They talked about normal topics, staying away from Marinette's troubles.

"So, how's your latest design?"

"I think it's coming along. I'm using four way stretch fabric instead of the two way, so maybe this time it will fall right."

"I still think the first design and test suit was perfect."

Marinette shook her head, nibbling on a chip. "The jacket stretched in ways I didn't plan. That's why I made the test suit. I've never done a tux before."

"I'm sure it was fine. What were you planning on someone doing in it? Flips?"

"You never know. Maybe they would need to protect a princess or something."

Ace choked on his laughter, nearly spilling his drink. Marinette giggled, offering a couple of napkins.

"Maybe you're right." He finally managed, taking the napkins and trying to clean up his mess.

Something red caught her eye and she looked out the window.

"Is that... Ladybug?"

Ace turned and watched as Ladybug entered 'Top of the Cracker.'

"What's she doing here?" Marinette stood up, eyes wide.

"Marinette? What's wrong?"

"That's not Ladybug." She thought fast, trying to come up with an explanation. "She's supposed to call before coming to get me. She was worried about another copy cat akuma."

He took out some cash and put it on the table. "Then let's go."

"I can't drag you into this."

"Too late." he said, grabbing her hand. He waved at the server before heading to the back.

He lead her out the back door, making sure to look everywhere before taking her outside. She heard people suddenly start talking in the bar as the door shut.

 _The fake Ladybug is on our trail. I need to get away so I can change._

Ace pulled her along, but everywhere they went Ladybug appeared.

"I don't get it. Why can't we shake her?"

"Maybe she's one of the people-focused akumas," she said. His hand tightened on hers, but he didn't turn back to look at her.

"You should go and try to get in touch with Chat and Ladybug."

Ace looked back over his shoulder with a decidedly Chat like expression. "I couldn't leave my Princess all alone, could I?"

Marinette blinked, unsure how to answer that.

"There you are, Marinette! We have to go. Chat's fighting the akuma, and I have to get you to safety so I can go help."

Marinette spun around and backed Ace into the street. The fake Ladybug was in the alley, walking towards them.

"I'm not going anywhere with you. You're not the real Ladybug."

The fake Ladybug paused, looking a little sad. "How did you know? I practiced so hard."

"You didn't call me first, like you promised. Or like Ladybug promised. And you haven't once used the secret word."

"Oh? So you planned on something like this happening?"

"Of course. If Chat can have a Copycat, Ladybug can as well. She was extremely worried about the possibility."

Marniette watched as she pulled off the yo yo, swinging it around her. Something about it was off.

She opened her mouth before thinking. "What's wrong with your yo yo? The rest of your outfit is spot on, but something about it isn't right."

Ace chuckled. Both the fake Ladybug and Marinette rolled their eyes at him.

"Well, since you know, there's no point in pretending anymore." Purple light enveloped her, changing her outfit from black on red to red on black.

"Let's start over. Hi, I'm Scarab and you are coming with me."

Ace grabbed Marinette's hand and sprinted down the street. The yo you flew by Marinette's head, but he pulled her inside a store. They wove their way through some clothes and then turned and backtracked. Ace pulled her back behind a wall and stopped near the entrance they entered through.

"What... are we doing?" she panted, leaning against the wall.

"She's going to think we ran through and out the back. So instead, we wait here for a moment."

Marinette nodded, before ducking behind a counter. Scarab walked in the store, looking around.

"Shit. Well, it was a good plan." He said, ducking down with her. They waited as she walked through, keeping an eye out.

"I know you're here, Marinette. I won't hurt the boy, I promise. It's only you we want."

Marinette looked down, thinking. She had to get away. Scarab didn't seem to be very different from Ladybug. Which meant she wouldn't have people focused powers. Although that didn't mean she was weak. In fact, she may be the strongest akuma they've fought yet. Especially if she understood Ladybug well enough to predict her patterns.

Ace pulled her out of her thoughts by grabbing her hand. "Don't worry. I'm here. I'll protect you."

"I don't need protection. You're the one that needs to get out of here," she whispered, peeking around the corner. Scarab was now on the other side of the store, but in a strategic place where she could see both exits.

"Don't worry, I'm sure the duo is on the way now."

"Doubt it," she sighed. "Chat might have seen her earlier, and she may have him on the other side of Paris looking for me. And Ladybug is out of town. That's why she's been late this entire time."

A small sound from the other side had them both pause. "I know. I lost her. I didn't plan on her visiting her boyfriend."

They looked at each other as Scarab's voice floated over to them.

"No, her parents are probably a no-go. You'd make her fight harder against you instead of succumb to you. You're going to need to make her mad, not determined."

Marinette nodded. She was smart - hopefully too smart for her own good.

Ace grabbed her hand as Scarab passed them, headed out.

"I'm going to lie low for a little bit, see how this all works out. Neither of the duo have shown up, which means they aren't far behind."

Her voice stopped what must have been right inside the store. A purple light tinted the marble above them as she spoke. "How was I supposed to know they were expecting something like this to happen? And guessing the secret word wouldn't have helped, anyway."

"Understood. I'll find her soon, I promise. And threatening to take my powers isn't going to make her show up any faster, just so you know. It actually hurts moral and might make me more likely to mess up."

Her voice cut off and Marinette peeked. Scarab stood outside the door. She was dressed like Ladybug again, except with a pink butterfly outline around her face. She said something else and threw her yo yo, swinging away as the outline faded.

Marinette sighed, leaning back against the counter. "She's gone."

Ace peeked around the other way as people began appearing from their hiding spots. "It looks like it. Do you have somewhere to hide until this blows over?"

She shook her head.

"Well... You can come over to my place. It's not the best, but..."

"I've already gotten you involved. I don't want them to suddenly come in and destroy your place."

"Trust me, they will have a hard time getting to it. I live... well, it's better if I show you."

He pulled her up and lead her out of the store and through a maze of alleyways. The way he moved through them showed a level of comfort that was just a little frightening. Ace must have seen the look on her face, because he started explaining.

"Before I worked at 'Top of the Cracker,' I was a delivery boy. I had to learn these streets to deliver the orders on time."

Marinette felt a hint of doubt, but decided to ignore it. After all, he was a close friend.

After twisting and turning until she was sure they were lost, Ace stopped at the back of her bakery. "I figured you'd like to make sure your parents were okay."

Marinette shot him a grateful look before entering the bakery. She stopped to wave to her parents. When they tried to come over, she put a finger to her lips and motioned to the back room.

Her father left the counter and went to the back with her. She hugged him quickly, before grabbing a bag and stuffing it full of sweets and cheesy bread.

"What's going on?"

"The Ladybug that came here was an akuma, like Copycat. I have a friend outside, waiting to take me somewhere safe."

"But the plane...?"

"I over reacted this morning, I'm sorry. But I can't go. Alya will explain everything. Tell her that I said she can tell you about Tikki. I'll explain the rest later tonight. Right now, I've got to go."

"You can't!"

"I have to. Otherwise, people will get hurt. Starting with Ace. I'll be back."

She ducked around him again, using her skills as Ladybug to get out the back door before he could react. Ace lead her down the alley and closer towards the Eiffel tower. They threaded through the alleyways until he eventually came to a bridge

"Here. Watch this."

Ace ducked under the bridge and peeked back around the corner. "Well? You coming?"

Marinette followed him under the bridge. He helped her jump down onto the small platform.

"This part isn't going to be the funnest, but this is probably the safest place until Ladybug comes. The actual Ladybug."

He opened a door she hadn't noticed.

"Where does this go?" she asked as it swung open to reveal stairs leading down.

"An old section of the Catacombs. They blocked it off about a century ago to stop people from getting lost."

He took her hand and lead her down into the darkness.

 **Final Notes:** First off, thank you all so much! This has been an extremely hard chapter to write realistically, which is why it is a little late. If I can make anything more realistic, tell me and I'll try to fix it.

Anyway, thank you so much for all your support!

And I'd like to say "Hi!" to the person who connected with both me and my sister. Somehow, despite the distance between us, you managed to find both of us. Which is a little mind-boggling when you think about it. Thank you so much for your support! (And I'm sorry, we're both weird. Lol )


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry, guys. I'm still alive and working on this. More at the end if you want to read it. Enjoy!

There were only a few things Marinette was frightened of. As the door shut and Ace lead her down a slightly sloping path, her breath hitched. The darkness was impenetrable. If Ace hadn't been pulling her along, she would have frozen, reliving all the nightmares she's had at night.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ace asked as she pressed herself against him.

"N-no. Is there a light anywhere?"

"Just up ahead," he said gently. His voice was eerily familiar, but Marinette couldn't hold the thought as something touched her head.

She held on to Ace and squealed as a blinding light came on. "Sorry. I forgot I had the sheet up to keep out drafts."

Blinking her vision back to normal, Marinette was surprised to see herself in what looked like an apartment.

"You are probably thirsty, huh? I'll grab you some water, then we can check the Ladyblog to see if Ladybug has gotten here yet."

Marinette looked around as he walked over to a rather large refrigerator in the kitchen area and grabbed a water bottle. There was a full size bed pushed back against the back right corner, and a small dining room set near the entryway. It even had a small office/living room hybrid. Everything was a light green. A naked bulb hung from the ceiling, providing ample light.

In fact, the light and the sheet covering the doorway were the only things that made it seem like it was underground. The rest looked like it could have come directly from a fashion magazine.

"Wow. How did you get all this down here?"

"Very carefully." He laughed, handing her the water. "Actually, most of it was assembled here. But do you know how hard it was to pull a full sized bed through that hallway? And get it into here from the platform? I managed, but still."

"Sounds like tough work." She giggled, opening the water and taking a sip. Ace smiled at her, then walked over to his computer.

"Let's check the Ladyblog. You may be able to leave if Ladybug already stopped Scarab."

Marinette kept quiet, walking over and peering over his shoulder. There were lots of sightings of Scarab – although the people of Paris didn't know she wasn't Ladybug – but no sign of either of the duo.

"They must be laying low, planning something together." Ace said, looking back at her.

"Maybe…" Marinette said, doubt clear in her voice.

"Hey, why don't we actually talk like we were going to? The couch is rather comfortable and I can make a mean omelet. As long as you like cheddar and bacon, that is."

She chuckled, throwing another look at the monitor but let him pull her away. Somehow, she was going to have to get out of there and go fight Scarab. The trick would be finding a way to leave without arousing suspension or giving up her identity.

Ace walked over to the stove and turned it on. "Electric stove too? That must have been expensive."

"A little. But I had a pretty high paying job back when I bought this stuff. I'd been planning on moving out of my father's house for a while. Then the couple that lives in the house above us let me move in here and even lets me mooch off their utilities and internet. After I got another job I began paying them and…"

"You're doing the rambling thing. I thought we agreed last time that was my thing." Marinette teased as he began cooking.

He laughed, visibly relaxing. "I know. I guess I'm just a little nervous. You're the first person I've brought down here."

She smiled and sat down. Time slipped away from Marinette as they talked and ate. She felt light and happy as they laughed together.

Ace was fun to be with, as much as Chat. He wasn't quite as goofy, but still knew how to make her laugh. He'd been there for her when she'd needed him most. Hell, he was the one she ran to when Alya was busy.

Finally, Marinette admitted it to herself. She liked him. It was confusing, especially since she had feelings for two other boys, but she couldn't deny it.

"So, should we see if anything's changed?" Ace asked, waving towards the computer. She nodded, walking over as he did the dishes.

When she refreshed the page, she was stunned. Message after message asked about Chat, and why he hasn't shown up. A few comments were about her, asking if she was safe since Ladybug seemed so frantic and Chat was missing.

This was bad. When she checked the time, she realized she'd been there for almost four hours.

"Well, this is bad. Neither Ladybug nor Chat Noir have shown up. Well, I'm going to guess that's Scarab and not Ladybug, but I guess it could be her."

"It's probably not her. I should go get some grub if we're going to be here for an extended period of time."

"No. You're now a target. You can't leave."

Ace raised his eyebrows. "She told us they only want you. I'm free to do as I please."

"And yet you are the only one who may know where I am. No, you're not safe at all."

He thought for a moment, then nodded. "You're right. That doesn't change the fact I don't have anything to eat. I'll just sneak out and –"

"No. If you're go, I'm going too."

Ace sighed, sitting on the couch. "Well, that's not going to happen. We're just going to have to sit here and hope they get here."

"Ladybug won't come. I know that for a fact. She will never come and save me." Marinette sighed, half to herself.

She must have sounded upset, because Ace walked over and put his hand on her shoulder. "That's not true. Even if you two have been fighting, she's not the kind of person who would leave you to the wolves."

With a small sigh, she turned towards him. Her phone ringing silenced them both as she pulled it out. Thinking quick, she answered before showing Ace who was calling.

"First off, that was dirty. You made me tell your parents? Second, that can't be you, since you answered and she's swinging down the street. Are you okay?" Alya asked, worry clear in her voice.

"I'm fine, Chat. Just worried about the two of you. I'm staying with a friend for now."

Ace gave her a funny look as she ducked away, trying to get far enough away that he couldn't hear.

"Why Chat? Why couldn't you pretend I was Ladybug?" she whined.

"Yes, I can meet you in a little bit. Where?"

"Well, the not-you is around the Eiffel Tower right now. Next she's supposed to go to the bakery, if she's following the pattern she has been for the last couple of hours. I'll make sure to tell them that isn't you."

"I can do that. Should I bring a friend? Scarab, the name of the anti-Ladybug, saw him with me. He's pretty safe where he is, but I don't know if you guys want to chance keeping two people safe."

"Probably not a good idea. I don't know what you are up to girl, but stay safe."

"Will do. Meet you there," she said, hanging up the phone.

Ace was watching her with a look of shock and a little bit of betrayal on his face. She proceeded cautiously with the rest of her quickly thought out plan, not quite sure what she did wrong.

"That was Chat. I need to go help the duo lay a trap for Scarab, since their attempts have failed so far."

"You're lying, but I must admit it was rather convincing. No wonder Hawkmoth is trying so hard to infect you. How much of what I know of you is a lie?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not lying. I have to get out of here. I don't have time for games." She grabbed her purse and stood up, but Ace blocked her path.

"Even if you've been lying, I can't let you go. It's my job to protect you."

"No it isn't. I can protect myself. Now please, move. I don't want to hurt you."

"I heard Alya's voice. I know it wasn't Chat."

Marinette sat heavily back on the chair, deflating a little. "No, it wasn't Chat. But that doesn't mean I can stay here. I have to go."

"Just be patient. Ladybug will come."

"No! Ladybug won't. You don't understand. You can't understand. But I have to go. It was a mistake coming here, and I'm so sorry about that. I didn't mean it that way, but it's true. There are circumstances I can't talk about. I should have gone somewhere where Chat could have found me. I should have gone somewhere where they could have trapped Scarab. I should have –"

Ace shook his head, coming over and wiping the tears from her face. "It's okay, Princess. I won't let Scarab hurt anyone."

Marinette looked up at him, eyes wide. Something tugged at the back of her mind until it exploded. " _Chat_?"

Ace smiled a little sadly, nodding. "I'm sorry; I know you didn't want me to show myself. But I couldn't let you beat yourself up anymore. You do that too much, Mari."

She gaped at him as Plagg came out and bowed to her. "Hello! Nice to finally meet you, Marinette. Now I don't have to listen to him talk about you constantly."

Ace went red while Marinette laughed, still half in disbelief. Now that she was looking, he had the same body shape and was the right size. "But the hair? Do you change it to blond whenever he transforms?" she asked Plagg.

"No, that's a wig. It goes in a pocket while we are fighting."

Ace smiled and took it off, letting his hair down. It fell haphazardly and all of the sudden, he looked exactly like Chat.

"Now THAT was a transformation," she giggled. "No wonder you have a wig. There's no way I would have missed you."

He laughed, shaking his head. "So, now do you trust me? I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Marinette shook slightly as she brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes. "Y-yeah. But you had my trust before, and that's not really the issue here."

Ace kneeled down next to the chair so he could look up at her. "It's okay. I know it's a lot to take in. But we are still… whatever you want us to be. I'm not going to pressure or guilt you into doing anything you don't want to do."

"You see, this is why I wanted to let you know my identity." He gently took her hand and kissed it. "I've fallen in love with you, Marinette."

Marinette felt tears on her cheeks as she fell into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I can't believe-"

Marinette bit off her words as she buried her face into his shoulder.

"Can't believe what, Princess?"

"I can't believe I fell for you twice, you stupid goofball."

Marinette felt something inside her snap as she cried. After a few minutes, she sat up and wiped at her tears.

"Somehow, we'll make this work Mari. I promise."

She couldn't help but giggle. At herself, at the situation, at the fact that he didn't even know he was holding Ladybug hostage.

"Don't worry, I don't doubt you'll have my back. At all. But we still need to figure out how to stop the akumas and ultimately Hawkmoth."

Ace shook his head. "You don't have to worry about that. That's not a job for civilians."

"Technically you are a civilian. I mean, the city doesn't pay you for your efforts and you aren't in any government program." She teased.

"True, but I have a kwamii and magic powers and you don't, so you don't really get a say in this."

Marinette laughed until she couldn't breathe. Finally she doubled over, catching Ace's bewildered look. "I don't get it. Did I say something punny?"

"Oh, silly kitty. It's just funny how we fell for the same people twice. Each. So does that make our love multiplied or squared?" She asked, opening her purse for Tikki.

At that moment, she wished she had a camera. Ace's face was priceless.

"L-Ladybug?!" He squeaked, then blushed bright red. "I-I-I"

Marinette giggled and blushed slightly, leaning back to look at him. "Yes, kitty? Or are you still my knight in shining armor?"

His eyes were wide, roaming her face. Finally he sighed, laughed shakily, and put his head on her shoulder.

"Thank God. I was so worried I was going to hurt one of you. I knew Ladybug was starting to see me, but by that time I'd found you. And you seemed to like me. And I like you back. I-"

"Shhh. It's okay. I understand." Marinette said, hugging him gently. "Trust me. I understand. When you told Ladybug you found someone else, I was jealous."

Ace laughed softly as she blushed brighter and ran a hand through his hair. "That is hilarious. We've been dancing around each other for the longest, haven't we?"

"But let's not forget why you guys had to reveal in the first place. Scarab is still out there and we need to figure out how to protect you. It's still dangerous, especially since if one of you is caught, both identities are compromised." Tikki spoke up.

"Or we could just eat cheese and wait until they go away." Plagg spoke up from somewhere in the kitchen. Tikki sighed and floated over in that direction.

"You know, she's right. Scarab is biding her time and not actively hurting people. We should sit down and strategize about this and what it means. Does Hawkmoth know I'm Ladybug?"

"That would make the most sense, but then again he's never had anyone defy him before. That means you are strong willed enough to go after the Miraculous without being stupid. Although that may have tipped him off. We really don't have enough information to figure it out."

Marinette's phone rang again and she picked it up. "Hello?"

"Marinette? Where are you?" Alya asked, sounding extremely worried.

"I decided it's too risky to come out tonight. I'm pretty sure Scarab is a trap, so I'm going to stay here with Chat and figure out a strategy." Ace helped her to her feet and they went and sat on the couch.

"You're with Chat? Okay. I was worried something happened when you didn't show."

"I know. I'm sorry I'm going to have to postpone the question session with Tikki. And leave you to deal with my parents. Did they take it hard?"

"A little. They didn't like the fact you were sneaking out of the house at night."

Marinette grimaced. "Yeah, I know. But if anyone had known who we were before…"

"You don't have to explain it to me. I understand. But your parents just want the best for you. Give them a little bit of time and maybe a call to say you're still alive."

"I will Alya. You're the best, girl."

"You know it. And the longer you wait on the session, the more questions I get to ask. Just FYI. Bye!"

Marinette laughed and hung up, dropping her head back on Ace's shoulder. "That is going to be a nightmare."

"I didn't know you revealed to Alya. That could have been a bad mew-ve."

"She didn't know until recently. I kept it hidden for years before Tikki convinced me to tell. But with all that's going on now, it's probably a good thing we have eyes on the outside. Plus, she would never reveal who I am."

Marinette thought for a moment. "She may be used to find me, but the akuma wouldn't know I'm Ladybug. They would use her to draw Marinette out. That's why I told her, to let her have a heads up. Marinette couldn't come save her. Ladybug would."

"Makes sense, I guess. But wasn't she trying to figure out our identities and broadcast them over the internet?"

"She was, but she realized it would put us in danger. So now she wants to keep a record for the next Ladybug and Chat Noir."

"If you trust her not to say anything, I will. But that still leaves a bind. What are we going to do?"

Marinette called her parents and told them she was spending the night with Chat. They weren't happy, but they understood. After hanging up with them, the duo spent the next couple of hours talking and coming up with ideas. Plagg and Tikki sat and talked quietly in a corner, probably catching up. Finally, Marinette yawned and Ace carried her to the bed.

"Good night, Princess. And don't worry, we will figure something out."

Marinette murmured something and rolled over, spooning into Ace. He laughed softly and snuggled into her. Both of them fell asleep within minutes. The day's adventure and shock finally caught up with them.

Tikki flew over and pulled the blanket up further for them. Neither one moved an inch. "It seems like they finally found each other."

"It took them enough time. Longer than any other pair." Plagg said as he prepared a dinner of cheese and sweets for the two of them.

"Well, Marinette is cautious. She knows the risks, and is more aware of them than any other Ladybug that has been chosen. Especially since she lost Adrien."

"Well, she will be happy to know she hasn't. But that revelation will have to come later. I'm not sure my boy is ready to talk yet. What happened hurt him. I thought we would lose him to the darkness for a while. I'm glad he was able to get out of that house."

"I won't ask for details. I can tell you are just as upset as he is. Let's just get through one thing at a time."

Plagg nodded as Tikki joined him on the counter. "Good idea." He was silent for a long moment, quietly nibbling on his cheese. "I don't think he will survive being away from her for too long. As it was, he saw her every two weeks. He'd make up excuses to see her in both his civilian and hero forms. She's the only thing keeping him sane at this point."

Tikki hugged him gently. "It will be okay. Now that they've revealed, they can train together and get stronger. Chat may be strong enough to learn Jinx, but I don't know yet. That will be hard on his psyche, and I wouldn't want to push him too far."

"No, not yet. He's too reliant on Ladybug. He has to first figure out himself."

"Okay. Then it's probably not a good idea to teach them anything else."

"No. Let them enjoy their time. With Marinette's support, he can begin healing. The big fight is coming up, but we still have time."

They finished their dinner together, talking about the last few hundred years. By the time they fell asleep, the two were caught up and talking strategy.

They didn't like the way things were playing out.

 **(Shift in scene because I can't figure out how to put a break here)**

Meanwhile, Scarab had stopped roaming the street. She frowned as she looked out a circular window, unnerved by the butterflies fluttering around her.

"Don't worry. You'll get used to their presence."

"What are they?" she asked, turning around to see Hawkmoth walking up.

"Nothing but tools to me. And you didn't bring Marinette."

Scarab shook her head. "No, I didn't. She's probably found the duo by now. If I was Ladybug, I wouldn't let her be seen until I have a trap in place. Or until they are getting ready to take her out of the city."

"You incompetent-" He began, but Scarab held up a hand.

"I'm not incompetent. They beat us in a battle, but I can help you win the war. They will move her tomorrow night. We will attack then."

"You do not call the shots."

"You made me like Ladybug. I can think like her, at least kind of. You want to catch Marinette, you're going to need me. Why do you want that brat anyway?"

"There's something in her I want. She has a kind of natural power. And that power will bring down Ladybug. After that, Chat will be my pawn."

"You better be sure. If you kill Ladybug, he's coming after you."

"Oh, don't worry. I know how to shut him down."

"Really? How? I can help you plant the seeds in his mind if you'd like."

Hawkmoth thought, then shook his head. "The time isn't quite right. I haven't accumulated enough power. We'll leave it for now, but be careful out there tomorrow, Scarab. I won't tolerate another defeat."

"Okay, Hawkmoth."

 **Final Note:** Well, this has been extremely hard to write. It kept coming out weird. I've honestly rewritten this ten times, getting about 1000 words before deciding it doesn't sound right at all. To make matters worse, depression hit and stole my creativity for a while. But I'm back. And can hopefully work out a schedule around school and everything else. I'm going for once a week or every two weeks. We'll have to see.

And I'm so, so sorry it took so long. Hopefully, it is worth it.

Also, I will be going back and fixing some more errors. I will warn you if anything changes. 

Thank you all so much for your continued support. Even though it's been a while since I've updated, you guys keep spreading word and finding it. Even during my depression and numbness, you guys managed to put a genuine smile on my face. Thank you so much, everyone.


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